| Mount Washington Wilderness | |
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IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
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On the route to a winter ascent of Mount Washington |
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| Location | Linn / Deschutes / Lane counties, Oregon, USA |
| Nearest city | Sisters, Oregon |
| Area | 52,516-acre (212.5 km2) |
| Established | 1964 |
| Governing body | United States Forest Service |
The Mount Washington Wilderness is a wilderness area located on and around Mount Washington in the central Cascade Range of Oregon in the United States. The Wilderness Area was established in 1964 and comprises 52,516 acres (213 km2) of the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests.[1] It is administered by the US Forest Service.
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Mount Washington is a shield volcano rising above 75 square miles (190 km2) of lava-strewn plains. The Wilderness Area includes Belknap Crater, a 6,872 ft (2,095 m) cinder and ash volcanic cone. Vegetation consists primarily of lodgepole and other species of pine and mountain hemlock. There are 28 lakes in the Wilderness. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail extends for 16.6 miles (26.7 km) through the Mount Washington Wilderness. It is the primary trail and extends from the north boundary near Big Lake to where it leaves the wilderness at its southern boundary near the Dee Wright Observatory.[1]